Humans are actually pretty good at helping each other, but your brain is wired to miss the million small kindnesses happening daily. Research proves we default to cooperation.
The story
You know what nobody talks about enough? The fact that humans are actually pretty good.
Yeah, I know – turn on the news and it feels like the world’s going to hell. But here’s the thing: your brain is lying to you. It’s wired to notice threats, not the million tiny kindnesses happening around you every single day.
Research shows that when people get the chance to help someone, most of them do. Not because they have to. Because they want to. That stranger who held the door. The person who let you merge in traffic. The coworker who covered your shift without being asked.
These things happen constantly. They just don’t make headlines.
Scott Howard Swain spent decades studying this stuff, and his book “A Practical EmPath Rewire Your Mind” breaks down why we’re naturally wired for empathy and generosity. He calls it “Street empathy” – the practical, everyday kind that turns tense moments into actual human connection.
The cool part? You can get better at it. When someone’s being difficult, there’s usually a reason. When you respond with curiosity instead of defense, things shift. Not because you agree with them, but because you’re treating them like a person.
Mirror neurons. Studies. Real-world conflict resolution. It all points to the same truth: cooperation and kindness are our defaults. We just forget sometimes.
So maybe the world isn’t falling apart. Maybe we’re just not paying attention to the right things.
Want to rewire how you see people? Swain’s book is a solid place to start.
